having a sense of confidence in or satisfaction with (a person, arrangement, or situation).

"I was never very happy about the explanation"

satisfied with the quality or standard of.

"I'm happy with his performance"

willing to do something.

"we will be happy to advise you"

(of an event or situation) characterized by happiness.

"we had a very happy, relaxed time"

used in greetings.

"happy birthday"

fortunate and convenient.

"he had the happy knack of making people like him"

informal

inclined to use a specified thing excessively or at random.

"our litigation-happy society"

We have a lot more words the second time around, however more confusion. When I ask about "Happiness" it is meant to describe a persons overall feeling. The term "Happy" seems to mean, well, anything you want it to. Though, in the definition, the words "satisfied", and "content", seem to be more along the lines of what I am looking for.

Our culture seems to interject any word we wish in order to communicate a feeling that is, to say the least, indescribable. How do you describe when you're feeling happy? Does describing what you feel resinate with the person you are trying to describe it to? I open my mouth, words shoot out of it, they go into the ear of the person listening. The listener then mentally searches for connections to those words they've experienced themselves. Based on their own experiences they either identify or confuse what is trying to be communicated.

Happiness is not to be described. To describe happiness is like trying to reach into a dream and pull out a physical object. The task feels easy, but when actually attempted, it is impossible. While trying to describe happiness might be impossible, it is easy to identify what happiness does not have.

Happiness is free from worry, stress, and anxiety. Though what if you enjoy those things? What if you enjoy worrying over something, because that something is meaningful to you? You enjoy the worrying, it occupies the mind. Surely that is far from satisfied or content. Yet for the individual who enjoys worrying, that would seem like bliss.

The point I'm trying to make is that you have to be the one to create your own happiness. I mean everything to do with happiness. From the definition of it, to it's contents, even how you apply it to your own life. You have to create everything about it. Which, by the way, totally sucks if you are stuck in a depressive/sad state. Surely if you possessed the power to do this, you would have implemented it already. I would encourage you to try and understand that everything is a process. Our culture is obsessed with the fast easy snap, snap, and problem is solved scenario. In life, there is no Montage. You can't fix things snap snap. You first have to break ground, and force yourself to do something. A little at a time, consistently, and with great effort. Repetition brings rewards.

How do you build towards happiness? Epicurus a Greek Philosopher from 341 BC, had some thoughts. Epicurus spent a great deal of time asking himself, "What makes people happy?" Through his studies he found three things.

1. Having your Friends around

2. Work for yourself, Not other people

3. Finding calm, in your own mind

While this seems easy enough, I'll elaborate on each one of these in the following days. Explaining why these three easy steps, are so hard to grasp in todays society. Between now and then, check out this quick philosophy video on Epicurus.